A shocking incident occurred Tuesday at a California airport when a 26-year-old passenger on a Delta Airlines plane stole a tow truck on the runway, crashed into another vehicle and then tried to hijack an airline truck before being arrested.
As CNN reports, the passenger, who was scheduled to fly to Seattle, exited a door and stole a tow truck, a type of vehicle used to move luggage or planes at the airport, and drove it to Gate 7, where it crashed into another vehicle.
The young man then tried to steal an American Airlines restroom maintenance truck but was arrested by airport police. He is charged with theft of a vehicle, trespassing and vandalism.
"There was a security breach at the airport. It looks like someone stole a tow truck, so they basically stopped operations," an air traffic controller told pilots waiting on the runway. ©LAPSI.al
A Delta passenger at John Wayne Airport stole a tug and drove it around the tarmac before crashing into another vehicle, officials say. https://t.co/6hya3tBFOy https://t.co/KCl27sOyXV
— ABC News (@ABC) October 8, 2026
